Thomas d



(No Model.) T 2 Sheets -Sheet 1.

' T. D. INGRAM.

.REGEPTAGLE FOR SMALL ARTICLES; No. 521,116. Patented June 5, 1894.

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T. D. INGRAM.

REGEPTAOLE FOR SMALL ARTIOLES.

No. 521116. Patented June 5, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS D. INGRAM, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

RECEPTACLE FOR SMALL ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,116, dated J une 5, 1894.

Application filed February 15,1894. Serial No. 500,297. (No model.)

To 01% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS D. INGRAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Receptacles for Small Articles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in and relating to receptacles for tickets, cards, cigars, and other analogous articles, and has for its object to afford facilities for retaining the articles within an inclosing casing of such suitableconstruction that they may be conveniently carried in the pocket, protected from injury or wear therein, and readily dispensed from the casing when required for use.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the application of my invention to several uses for which it is especially adapted.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of a blank embodying generic features of my improvements and adapted to be bent and shaped into the form of a ticket or card holder. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the said ticket or card holder, and illustrates its employment as a receptacle for street railway tickets. Fig. 3 represents a central longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 4. represents, in perspective, a receptacle intended particularly for visiting cards, although obviously adapted for other analogous uses. Fig. 5 representsa central longitudinal section thereof taken on a plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 7, and illustrating thelocation of the cards within the closed receptacle. Fig. 6 represents a like view showing the casingopen and the cards partially projected therefrom. Fig. 7 represents a cross-section taken on a plane indicated by the line 77 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 represents, in perspective, a receptacle for containing cigars and the like and illustrates the manner in which the cigars are retained therein and removed therefrom. Fig. 9 represents a central longitudinal section;

and Fig. 10 represents a central transverse section thereof.

In all of the embodiments of myinvention illustrated in the drawings, the main body portion of the casing or receptacle is formed from a single blank which is afterward bent or folded upon itself in such manner that the bend or fold shall constitute a springy connection between the lower andupper side of the casing so as to make the upper part of the casing a spring leaf having a tendency to close or come in contact at its free end with the corresponding end of the back of the casing. The extreme edge of the free end of the springleaf is made somewhat shorter than the back and is preferably turned up' so as to facilitate the insertion of the articles within the casing. It is also a characteristic of the invention that the spring leaf is provided with a slot extending lengthwise thereof as far as the line of bend, so that the articles may be readily expelled from the easing, either by the thumb or by means of a slide working in the slot as will hereinafter more fully appear. Furthermore to facilitate the expulsion of the articles from the casing, by reducing the surface of friction against which they act, I provide the casing with a ridge or series of ridges upon which the articles are adapted to rest and to slide as they are being expelled from the receptacle. In one of the embodiments of the invention these friction reducing ridges are also made available, in connection with the slide hereinbefore referred to, to automatically raise the spring leaf as the slideis pressed forward,

thereby relieving the articles themselves from the duty of raising the leaf.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, a indicates a blank of sheet metal, hard rubber or other like material of a resilient character provided with a slot 17, side wings c, and a ridge (1, said blank being adapted to be formed in a suitable die or otherwise. From the said blank the receptacle or casing is formed by bending it in the manner indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the slotbwill extend as far as the line of bond and so that the leaf e will rest with a spring pressure near its free end against or in close proximity'to the back of the receptacle, and between thetwo turned up wings c which thus constitute the sides of the receptacle. At its extreme free edge the spring leaf is slightly bent upward and is shorter than the back as shown more fully in Fig. 3, so that the cards, tickets or similar articles may be readily inserted within the casing.

In Fig. 2 I have shown this receptacle as a receiver for street railway tickets, which may be conveniently inserted between the spring leaf and the back of the receptacle, in the manner indicated, and when fully within the receptacle will be retained in place by the pressure of the spring leaf. To expel the tickets from the receptacle, the receptacle is held in the palm of the hand and the thumb is inserted at the rear end of the slot so as to force the tickets forward. The advantage of carrying the slot, to the extreme end of the receptacle near the line of bend is that the pressure may be against the ends of the tickets so as to slide them forward in advance of the thumb, rather than by exerting a pressure upon the top surface of the tickets, except near the ends thereof. This expedient reduces very considerably the frictional resistance to the expulsion of the tickets, and this frictional resistance is further diminished by the fact that the tickets in sliding forward rest upon the ridge d, the sides of the. slot forming guides to direct the thumb, during the expelling operation, directly above and along the ridge.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the construction and arrangement of parts are substantially identical with that just described. Thus the receptacle, which is shown as a receptacle for cigars, consists of, also, a blank of sheet metal or other resilient material a having a spring leaf e, slots b, ridges d, and side wings c of similar construction, arrangement and function as the corresponding features of the receptacle shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. For convenience, however, and to prevent the cigars from rubbing against each other, I further provide the spring leaf 6 with a series of depressions f which, with corresponding projections f in the main body portion of the blank, divide the receptacle into a series of compartments each adapted for the reception of a single cigar. To prevent abrasion of the cigars through the slots, the edges of the slots are turned up as in Figs. 8, 9; and 10. The mode of operation of this cigar receptacle is identical with the mode of operation of the street railway ticket receptacle, and need not be further described. In Fig. 8 I have shown one of the cigars as partially projected from the receptacle and the remainder of the cigars in their normal positions therein.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4', 5, 6 and 7 the blank a from which the receptacle is made is provided with two ribs d and the spring leaf (2 is provided with side wings h and with a struck up portion g. In other respects the blank with its spring leaf is identical in construction with the blank of the street railway ticket receptacle shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,and is bent in like manner. This form of receptacle is more especially adapted for containing a large number of cards or tickets, and I contemplate using it more especially for containing visiting cards. As it is desirable that the visiting cards should be withdrawn from, the receptacle without liability of having their edges rubbed or abraded by the spring leaf, I arrange within the slot b a sliden having an operating button nand having its rear end downwardly and forwardly bent as indicated. A further function of the slide is to more fully protect the cards against the entrance of dust and dirt, and for this purpose'it willbe noted that when retracted it entirely closes the slot.

In order to insert the visiting cards within the receptacle, the slide is moved forward, as indicated in Fig. 6, whereupon the downwardly bent end of the slide is caused to ride upon the ridges d thereby raising thespring leaf as indicated in the figures, and leaving a free space for the insertion of the cards. The slide is then retracted until the cards are within the receptacle whereupon the downwardly bent end of the slide leaves theridges d thereby permitting the spring leaf to close so as to retain the cards within the receptacle as indicated in Figs. 4- and 5. In withdrawing the cards from the receptacle the slide in like manner raises the spring leaf in advance of the cards. It is, of course, evident that the slide may be applied in like manner to either of the other embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings.

Vhile in the foregoing description, I have indicated several uses to which my improvements may be applied, I desire it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the employment of the receptacles as containers of any particular article, as it is evident that they are adapted to receive and dispense other articles than those particularly specified.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A receptacle for small articles, consistingof a spring leaf and cooperating back, the spring leaf having a longitudinal slot extending to its line of connection with the back; substantially as described.

2. A receptacle for small articles, consisting of a-slotted spring leaf and co-operating back, the back being provided with an inwardly projecting ridge upon which the articles are adapted to rest; said ridge extending longitudinally along the back and opposite the slot, whereby the sides of the slot form guides to direct the thumb during the expelling operation directly above and along said ridge; substantially as described.

3. A receptacle for small articles, consisting of a spring leaf and co-operating back, the spring leaf being slotted longitudinally, and a slide operating within the slot and having an inwardly extending projection against which the articles are adapted to rest; subback being provided with ridges co-operating stantially as described. with the slide; substantially as described. 10 4. A receptacle for small articles, consist- In testimony whereofIaffix my signature in.

ing of a spring leaf and co-operating back, presence of two witnesses.

5 the spring leaf being slotted longitudinally, THOMAS D. INGRAM.

and a slide operating within the slot and hav- Witnesses: ing an inwardly extending projection against JOHN G. PENNIE,

which the articles are adapted to rest, and the A. H. WILLIS. 

